Duncan Hines MEGA Cookie Chocolate Chunk Pan Cookie Mix, 7.8 oz.

Thought the grandkids would have fun making these. But when it got cold and they didn’t show up we adults thought we should test it out. Passed the test, will keep some in the pantry all winter. Perfect desert that’s quick to make and share with some ice cream on the side or a hot beverage.

Kids live this. Quick, easy tasty.

There is a quiet intimacy in the act of baking, a rhythm of stirring, measuring, and waiting, and the Duncan Hines MEGA Cookie Chocolate Chunk Pan Cookie Mix captures this intimacy with ease. The chocolate chunks scatter warmth through the batter, each bite offering a comforting sweetness that reminds one of afternoons steeped in the slow passage of light. The mix is reliable, producing a cookie that is generous in size and tender in texture, inviting both sharing and solitary indulgence. Yet, perfection remains just out of reach. The sweetness can verge on insistent, and the edges, though delightful, sometimes crisp more than desired. Still, the overall effect is one of uncomplicated satisfaction, a momentary reprieve from the quiet loneliness that sometimes drifts through a day. Four stars for a mix that delivers not only cookies but a sense of homely reassurance, a reminder that small acts of creation can carry profound comfort.

Easy to make

So the directions listed on Amazon say to add melted butter and water. I swear my box only said to add 3 tablespoons of melted butter so that's all I used. I thought it was a weird recipe for a boxed mix, but plowed on with it anyway. Tip for people like me who don't cook: unless you want a chocolate cookie, let the butter cool a bit before mixing it up. It melted all my chocolate chips and I ended up with a giant chocolate cookie which I didn't mind really. I also put some chocolate chips on top, microwaved it for maybe 15 seconds to get them soft, then smeared them around to make kind of an icing on top. Was it the best cookie I ever had? Nope. In fact, it tasted more like a brownie which maybe was the lack of water or maybe my melted chocolate. Who knows? But for a quick, sweet craving it's OK. I've had this, the brownie and the yellow cake, and the brownie is by far the best but you need to use a bit more water than it says to use. I love cake, but the cake one in the microwave just isn't the best, it comes out kind of spongy, plus the included icing is too hard to spread on top. I personally have not been able to find any of the other choices to try out. But overall, these seem fine for those times when you crave a little sweetness.

This a fun and tasty treat to split with a friend.

I know what you're thinking because I was once like you. Browsing Amazon for snacks, looking to satisfy a cookie craving. You see a big cookie for $2.50. It's one of your favorite flavors (oatmeal chocolate chip). You see Duncan Hines, a trustworthy brand. Their boxed cakes were always delicious, their icing is better than a certain other big brand. It's a big affordable cookie I can quickly make myself, from a brand I trust. What could go wrong? Everything. There was nothing good about this cookie. I mixed up the cookie dough as instructed. I have baked many cookies in my life in many different ways. From scratch, frozen dough, the packets where you add eggs and butter. This was not like any cookie dough I have ever seen. It was like someone took instant oatmeal packets and added weird stuff to them. The smell of cinnamon was strong. I don't know about anyone else, but I've never put cinnamon in my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. After mixing the dough, I decided this was not worth cooking in the oven. So I microwaved it in the provided tray. It took approximately 3 minutes. I had to keep adding time so it would actually cook. Eventually it looked okay, wasn't even burnt around the edges as others have reported. The texture was not that of a cookie, more like a weird brownie. I was still optimistic. Once it cooled, I forked off a small bite. It was moist, cakey, and tasted artificial. There was no taste of chocolate whatsoever despite having seen chocolate chips on the fork that entered my mouth. The artifical sweetener (?) taste was overpowering, just as it is in the Duncan Hines mug cakes. I did not finish my cookie. Other people in the house took sections of it, no one liked it. Most of it was broken up and tossed outside for some poor unwitting birds to feast on. I think less of Duncan Hines for selling this. I'm afraid to buy their cake mixes now. Even for a low price like $2.50, this is a waste of money. Spend more, buy something else.

Very Good! for quick snack.